MDOT seeking partnerships

LANSING – In seeking innovative ways to finance, build, operate and maintain public infrastructure, the Michigan Department of Transportation is reaching out to businesses and other entities for ideas and interest in forming public-private partnerships (P3s). Initial proposed P3 projects include two rest areas, freeway lighting, bridge work and timber management.

MDOT formally issued requests for “letters of interest” from the private sector regarding several proposed P3 projects. The requests for letters of interest can be found at www.michigan.gov/ic. Mid-August is the deadline for responses.

“This is an informationgathering stage, the first step to starting a conversation about what’s possible in financing and building infrastructure,” said State Transportation Director Kirk T. Steudle. “We’re looking for innovations that will save taxpayerGolf Tournamentdollars, improveNewspaperservice and efficiency, and enhance public safety.”

The timber management P3 projects would thin out selected forested areas along four highway corridors to sustain and improve forest conditions. The four corridors are:

– US-2 (128 miles) in the Upper

Peninsula

– I-75 (134 miles) in the northern

Lower Peninsula

– US-127 (78 miles) in Clare,

Gratiot and Isabella counties

– US-131 (51 miles) in Kent,

Mecosta and Montcalm counties

The two rest areas proposed for

P3 projects are the Higgins Lake and Houghton Lake facilities along

US-127 in Roscommon County.

MDOT’s requests for letters of interest are only inquiries, and no contracts or agreements will be entered into as a result of this process.

After MDOT evaluates the responses to the requests for letters of interest, subsequent steps in the P3 process would be requests Adfor 2013:qualificationsLayoutand2 requests7/26/2013for proposals.